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I
FALSE Sir John a-wooing came | |
| To a maid of beauty fair; | |
| May Colvin was this lady’s name, | |
| Her father’s only heir. | |
| |
II
He woo’d her but, he woo’d her ben, | 5 |
| He woo’d her in the ha’; | |
| Until he got the lady’s consent | |
| To mount and ride awa’. | |
| |
III
‘Go fetch me some of your father’s gold, | |
| And some of your mother’s fee, | 10 |
| And I’ll carry you into the north land, | |
| And there I’ll marry thee.’ | |
| |
IV
She’s gane to her father’s coffers | |
| Where all his money lay, | |
| And she’s taken the red, and she’s left the white, | 15 |
| And so lightly she’s tripp’d away. | |
| |
V
She’s gane to her father’s stable | |
| Where all the steeds did stand, | |
| And she’s taken the best, and she’s left the warst | |
| That was in her father’s land. | 20 |
| |
VI
She’s mounted on a milk-white steed, | |
| And he on a dapple-grey, | |
| And on they rade to a lonesome part, | |
| A rock beside the sea. | |
| |
VII
‘Loup off the steed,’ says false Sir John, | 25 |
| ‘Your bridal bed you see; | |
| Seven ladies I have drownèd here, | |
| And the eight’ one you shall be. | |
| |
VIII
‘Cast off, cast off your silks so fine | |
| And lay them on a stone, | 30 |
| For they are too fine and costly | |
| To rot in the salt sea foam. | |
| |
IX
‘Cast off, cast off your silken stays, | |
| For and your broider’d shoon, | |
| For they are too fine and costly | 35 |
| To rot in the salt sea foam. | |
| |
X
‘Cast off, cast off your Holland smock | |
| That’s border’d with the lawn, | |
| For it is too fine and costly | |
| To rot in the salt sea foam.’— | 40 |
| |
XI
‘O turn about, thou false Sir John, | |
| And look to the leaf o’ the tree; | |
| For it never became a gentleman | |
| A naked woman to see.’ | |
| |
XII
He turn’d himself straight round about | 45 |
| To look to the leaf o’ the tree; | |
| She’s twined her arms about his waist | |
| And thrown him into the sea. | |
| |
XIII
‘O hold a grip o’ me, May Colvín, | |
| For fear that I should drown; | 50 |
| I’ll take you home to your father’s bower | |
| And safe I’ll set you down.’ | |
| |
XIV
‘No help, no help, thou false Sir John, | |
| No help, no pity thee! | |
| For you lie not in a caulder bed | 55 |
| Than you thought to lay me.’ | |
| |
XV
She mounted on her milk-white steed, | |
| And led the dapple-grey, | |
| And she rode till she reach’d her father’s gate, | |
| At the breakin’ o’ the day. | 60 |
| |
XVI
Up then spake the pretty parrot, | |
| ‘May Colvin, where have you been? | |
| What has become o’ false Sir John | |
| That went with you yestreen?’— | |
| |
XVII
‘O hold your tongue, my pretty parrot! | 65 |
| Nor tell no tales o’ me; | |
| Your cage shall be made o’ the beaten gold | |
| And the spokes o’ ivorie.’ | |
| |
XVIII
Up then spake her father dear, | |
| In the bed-chamber where he lay: | 70 |
| ‘What ails the pretty parrot, | |
| That prattles so long ere day?’— | |
| |
XIX
‘There came a cat to my cage, master, | |
| I thought ’t would have worried me, | |
| And I was calling to May Colvín | 75 |
| To take the cat from me.’ | |
| | | GLOSS: but, ben] both in the outer and inner rooms. loup] leap. |
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